Various Artists - Punk And Disorderly

The Punk and Disorderly compilation series is widely regarded as a definitive chronicle of the UK82 "second wave" of punk rock. Critics and fans alike consider the original 1982 release a landmark that successfully captured the raw, DIY energy of the transition from classic punk to a faster, more aggressive hardcore sound. The Original (Vol. 1): Generally hailed as the strongest in the series. Reviewers highlight its "raucous" and "noisy" quality, noting it effectively summarizes the era's street punk and Oi! successes.

The original Punk and Disorderly (1982) stands as the definitive time capsule for the "UK82" era, capturing the moment punk evolved from the art-school rebellion of 1977 into something faster, louder, and more working-class. Released by Abstract Records, the compilation curated the best of the independent charts, serving as an essential roadmap for a subculture that had been declared dead by the mainstream media but was actually thriving in the UK’s greyest industrial towns.

The tracklist is a relentless "who’s who" of the second wave, anchored by stone-cold classics like Vice Squad’s "Last Rockers" and The Adicts’ "Straight Jacket." These songs moved away from the bluesy roots of early punk, favouring a buzzsaw guitar tone and "sing-along" choruses that defined the street-punk aesthetic. The inclusion of Dead Kennedys’ "Kill the Poor" is a brilliant outlier, adding a layer of American satirical venom that perfectly complements the bleak, nihilistic energy of British acts like Disorder and The Insane.

What makes this volume superior to its successors is its pacing and sheer variety. It balances the melodic "bubblegum" punk of the Toy Dolls with the darker, gothic undertones of UK Decay and the raw, primitive thrash of Chaos UK. This diversity prevents the album from becoming a monotonous wall of noise, instead providing a panoramic view of a scene that was beginning to splinter into hardcore, Oi!, and anarcho-punk.

Decades later, the review for Punk and Disorderly remains overwhelmingly positive because it lacks the "filler" often found in later genre anthologies. It doesn’t just collect songs; it captures a specific atmosphere of urban unrest and DIY defiance. For anyone looking to understand why punk’s second wind was just as vital as its first, this record is the mandatory starting point.

Ripped to MP3

Side A

1. Vice Squad – "Last Rockers"

2. The Adicts – "Straight Jacket"

3. UK Decay – "For My Country"

4. Disorder – "Complete Disorder"

5. Peter and the Test Tube Babies – "Banned From the Pubs"

6. Disrupters – "Young Offender"

7. Red Alert – "In Britain"

8. Blitz – "Someone's Gonna Die" 

Side B

1. Dead Kennedys – "Kill the Poor"

2. The Partisans – "Police Story"

3. Demob – "No Room For You"

4. The Insane – "Last Day"

5. Abrasive Wheels – "Army Song"

6. Chaos U.K. – "4 Minute Warning"

7. The Outcasts – "Mania"

8. G.B.H. – "Race Against Time"